Broken - a Titans Fanfic
by ReemasB
Summary: Set between Rising Robin and Titans, the Titans team embarks on an assignment on Lian Yu - to apprehend Deathstroke. The team attempts to carry out the objective, but not before having their faith in each other and their resilience tested challenged, potentially altering the fate of the Titans forever.


**Broken**

Rachel stepped out of the helicopter and onto the sandy shore of the island, taking in the smell of salty seawater and tropical trees around her. The strong breeze brushed through her hair, ruffling her long black cloak. Rachel grabbed her hood hanging from her shoulders and brought it up over her head, dangling over her bangs. Rachel sighed, then turned and watched as the rest of the Titans came out of the helicopter.

Beast Boy stepped out of the chopper as the sun glistened against his purple tinted black body armor. Logan inhaled deeply. "Wow, smell that?" he said. "Nature! Smells like ass!"

From the pilot's side of the chopper, Cyborg stepped out. He wore black cargo pants with his bare chest, revealing his metallic build and his pristine clean surface. "Pretty sure that smell is you, bro."

Rachel snickered softly as she turned to spot Starfire stepping out of the chopper with elegance. Her white and purple slim armor covered enough of her chest and torso, but revealed enough of her skin to make Rachel concerned for Kori. With armor like that, Kori could easily be injured if not careful. Rachel opened her mouth to say something, but then retracted the thought. Kori could handle herself. Rachel didn't need to worry.

Kori smiled at Rachel, who smiled back faintly. Kori then turned to the helicopter. "Come on, M'gann! You must see the beautiful scenic view of this island!"

Behind Kori was M'gann, with her dark skin and brown hair drooping over her shoulders. She wore a more concealing armor of blue with red lines crossing over the chest piece. There was a long cape over M'gann's shoulders, similar to the cloak Rachel wore. M'gann stepped out of the helicopter and took in a deep breath, smelling the air around her. "It smells better than you think, Gar," she said in a soft, soothing voice. "Maybe take a whiff with a tiger snout or something."

Logan shook his head. "Nope. The stench is strong out here in Taiwan."

Conner began stepping out of the helicopter, black t-shirt with the House of El emblem plastered on the front visibly. He called out to Logan. "Nah, dude, we're off the coast of China."

Victor brought his wrist up to his face, revealing a holographic map. "Superboy is right," he said to the group. "This island's name, LIan Yu, is Mandarin for 'purgatory'. Recently, it's been occupied by ARGUS as a supermax prison."

"Huh," Logan nodded. "Kinda like Australia."

"Did Robin brief you before we left DC?" M'gann asked. "I might've missed it."

Rachel shook her head. "He didn't," she scoffed.

"Must we wait for his arrival before engaging in the objective?" Starfire asked.

"What objective?" Conner asked. "We haven't heard anything. He just said our assignment would be here in Lian Yu."

"We might need to reach out to ARGUS, since they're here," Cyborg suggested.

Before anyone could respond, a beeping sound emitted from Cyborg's wrist. Victor quickly tapped his wrist, revealing a holographic view of Dick. He was in his Robin gear, as expected, but from the background of his setting, it seemed as though he was at the Batcave. Rachel bit her lip in suspicion. Robin hadn't mentioned not coming with the Titans.

" _Alright, Titans,"_ Robin started, " _for this assignment, you six will have to tackle this on your own. I got stuck with an investigation out here in Gotham, but in the meantime, I'll be running comms from here."_

Logan shrugged. "Well, you're missing out on a hell of a vacation spot here."

Robin chuckled softly, then proceeded to speak. " _As much as I'd love to be there with you all, I couldn't. This assignment is too urgent to postpone, though. You six will have to carry it out tonight."_

"What's our objective, Robin?" Raven shot out in a mildly aggressive tone.

Robin cleared his throat before answering. " _Slade Wilson was imprisoned here in an ARGUS bunker nearby. There's been word of an attack, and the League believes Slade escaped. Considering his attempt to overthrow Starling City, along with the Mirakuru virus in him heightening his strength, he's a hell of a threat. Your objective is to apprehend Wilson."_

"We have to search this whole island for Deathstroke?" Logan cried. "I, uh...I think we're way too underqualified for this, dude."

" _You can do this, guys,"_ Robin responded. " _Beast Boy's tracking skills are more than imperative for this. M'gann and Raven will both be able to utilize their psionic abilities to pick up on his psychic imprint, while Superboy, Cyborg, and Starfire will be more than capable of handling him in combat. I have no doubt that you will do us proud tonight, Titans."_

"But...this is Deathstroke," Cyborg reiterated. "Why isn't the Justice League on this?"

Just as Robin was about to speak again, his video feed began to flicker out as the signal slowly died. Raven's heart sank as the holographic Robin disappeared; they were really on their own for the mission.

Raven looked up as the Titans began to glance at one another in confusion. They were at a loss without Robin by their side. They had never operated together without him before, especially not on an assignment as serious as capturing Deathstroke. They slowly eyed each other. Rachel hoped they weren't all asking themselves the same question: who would run point on this assignment?

Cyborg brought his wrist down and cleared his throat. "Alright, Titans. You heard Robin. The kid is sitting this one out, so we're taking Deathstroke on ourselves." Victor brought his hand to the side of his head and activated the communication device in his ear, causing it to buzz softly. "Alright, everyone. Go ahead and sound off. Titans in, do you copy?"

Rachel sighed and watched as Kori shook her shoulders in excitement for what was essentially a roll call of the team. "Starfire, copy that!"

M'gann smiled and cleared her throat before calling out. "Miss Martian, copy that."

Logan snickered softly before waving his hand apologetically. "M'gann, don't tell me you came up with that callsign."

M'gann shook her head. "Conner did," she admitted with a smile.

Logan shook his head at Conner, holding in a laugh. "Dude, why?"

Conner glared at Logan. "What's wrong with Miss Martian?"

"It's got just as much creativity as Superboy. Which is none."

"Logan!" Cyborg called out in annoyance. "Roll call, dude!"

Rachel rolled her eyes as she watched Logan groan at the childish micromanagement that the Titans endured without Robin leading point on the team. "Beast Boy, reporting for duty or whatever," Logan called.

"Superboy, copy that," Conner said with embarrassment, clearly taking Logan's words to heart.

Rachel glanced up from the team and turned to Cyborg, who's eyes were suddenly trained onto her. Rachel nodded at Victor. "Raven, copy that," she responded. "Do you copy, Cyborg?"

Rachel watched as Victor shut his eyes briefly, as though thinking to himself. Lights around his chest began to blink slowly. "I'm setting up a link between our uniforms for us to track one another if necessary."

"Wait, why would we need to track each other?" M'gann asked.

Cyborg sighed. "Because we're gonna divide ourselves into groups," he explained. Cyborg glanced around the group briefly, as though setting the groups up in his head. "Star, you're with me covering the East side of the island. M'gann, take Beast Boy with you to the West side. Raven and Superboy, you both are gonna investigate the ARGUS bunker."

"The bunker?" Conner asked. "Why?"

"The bunker was attacked," Victor answered. "You're going to need to search for survivors and, God forbid, call ARGUS reinforcements out here. They're a last resort if Deathstroke becomes a problem."

"If?" Logan scoffed.

Victor shot Logan a glare. "Gar, please. Now is not the time. There's a murderer loose on this island with the power and resources to overthrow each of us. We need to be on top of our game tonight, guys."

With that, the Titans nodded and broke up into their pairs, each walking off into their own paths. Rachel caught sight of M'gann giving Conner a reassuring glance before she went off with Logan. After a moment, Rachel felt Conner keep up with her fast pace as she floated across the surface of the island ground. She focused her mind on the imprint of corpses; if the bunker had been attacked, then Wilson would've left a trail of dead bodies in his wake. Raven would most definitely be able to sense their suffering spirits as she searched the island.

Conner followed behind Rachel, emitting an aura of uncertainty around himself. Rachel sighed, forcing herself to acknowledge it. "What's eating at you, dude?"

Conner sighed. "I...I dunno," he answered. "I know I'm missing some stuff after breaking out of that test tube in Cadmus, but...are we actually in over our heads?"

Rachel bit her lip. She didn't want to lie to Conner, considering how little he was able to piece together after his premature birth from the Cadmus facility. Conner was missing the context of the assignment, about Deathstroke. Rachel let out a shuddered breath. "Do you want me to be honest?" she asked.

Conner shrugged. "I don't know." Conner walked behind Rachel in silence for a moment before speaking again. "Tell me who Deathstroke is."

Rachel eyed her surroundings, still surveying the area for any corpses leading to the bunker. "Slade Wilson was in the US Army before making his way to Australian Secret Intelligence. He operated in special ops at some point, then began working as an mercenary. You gave the man a contract, and he'd execute your target quicker than your pizza boy could deliver."

"So he was good at what he did?" Conner asked.

"That's one way of putting it," Rachel answered. "He ended up getting stranded here on this island for a while. I'm not sure what happened during his time here, but when he resurfaced out in Starling City, he was more ruthless than ever."

"You're talking about that Mirakuru virus Robin mentioned?" Conner asked.

Rachel nodded. "Super strength and rapid healing," she explained. "Messes with the user's mind, though. Makes them...not think clearly."

"Is that why he tried to overthrow Starling?"

"I dunno," Rachel shrugged. "I really don't know. But...Roy would know."

Conner nodded slowly. Rachel felt Conner's uncertainty still radiating around him. She didn't want Conner to be lost in his head during the operation, considering that they were about to apprehend one of the deadliest men in the world. Rachel sighed, then spoke. "I don't want you to worry, Conner, okay?"

"Why?" Conner asked. "You said it yourself, this guy is the real deal."

"And you're a Kryptonian clone," Rachel responded. "Slade won't be equipped with anything that can actually hurt you."

"And you?" Conner added. "What about Logan? Kori? M'gann?"

Suddenly, Rachel could read Conner better than ever. The uncertainty that she felt from him wasn't about the mission. It was so much more than that. It was about M'gann. It was about her safety. Rachel understood that feeling more than she wanted to admit. She didn't want to let herself become overwhelmed with concern, but she was worried about Kori. As much as Rachel wanted to believe things would be okay, things could go easily wrong with a man like Slade loose on Lian Yu. She wanted Kori to make it back safely. Conner wanted M'gann to make it back safely as well. Rachel understood that.

"M'gann," Rachel said out loud suddenly. "Are you two serious?"

Conner scoffed, caught off guard by Rachel's question. "Serious? I...I don't know. I guess?"

Rachel laughed softly. "Have you put a label on the relationship?"

"A label?" Conner asked.

"Like, boyfriend and girlfriend."

"Oh," Conner asked. "Uh, she calls herself my girlfriend sometimes. I don't know, though. I just...I only came out of Cadmus two years ago. I'm in a 17 year old body, but I'm still a newborn up here." Conner tapped his finger up to his head, then frowned in embarrassment. "I don't think I've earned a place in her life yet, you know?"

Rachel slowed her pace and began walking alongside Conner. She shook her head. "You're so naive still. You can't let yourself be shut down by your own thoughts, okay? They're not as accurate as you may think."

Conner was silent for a moment. "Thank...you?"

Rachel sighed. "M'gann makes you happy. You make M'gann happy. That's all that anyone deserves. In the life that we live, Conner, that's hard to come by. You don't want to let go of that."

Rachel watched as Conner dissected her words slowly, letting them sink in. He nodded slowly. "You're right," he admitted. He looked down at Rachel with a soft grin. "You're pretty wise for the daughter of the Devil."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Yeah, thanks, rental Superman."

Rachel thought about Conner and M'gann, and how he managed to find someone for him who was willing to stand by his side, despite his struggles. M'gann was more than kind for that. When she arrived on Earth, the League didn't have a place for her, but Dick was willing to accommodate, and that brought her to the Titans, and to Conner.

The Titans were a family in a way. They brought people who were alone in the world together and suddenly they had all they ever needed. The Titans cared for one another, watched over one another, and loved each other despite their shortcomings. That's what Rachel loved about her friends. They weren't perfect like her, but they were exactly what she wanted in a family.

Rachel almost didn't realize how far they had walked into the woods of the island. Rachel sensed an aura of death nearby. In fact, it was more than that; she could smell the stench of fresh corpses. Rachel nudged Conner and nodded towards the direction the smell was coming from. "This way, Superboy."

As the two stepped further into the woods, they caught sight of a large concrete hatch underneath the growing roots of the plant life around them. The hatch was left wide open, with the horrid smell emitting from within.

"Looks like we're too late," Conner said softly.

Rachel shook her head. "No."

"What do you mean?" Conner asked.

Rachel ignored the question and made her way towards the hatch, then began climbing down the ladder into the ARGUS bunker.

Rachel set one foot down on the cold surface of the bunker, surveying the area around her. The lights inside were lit brightly enough to make her way across the bunker. Rachel began walking down the narrow hall leading to the cells of the bunker. She heard the large thump of Conner's heavy body drop down behind her, followed by a grunt. "Do you think there are any surviving agents?" he asked.

Rachel shook her head before making her way around the corner into the room with the broken cells. "No, they're all dead," she said softly. Conner made his way to Rachel before spotting the two dead ARGUS agents sprawled across the floor. One's neck was twisted in an unnatural way, while the other's face was beaten purple and blue with blood oozing from various cuts and gashes. Rachel eyed the bodies for a moment, then dropped her gaze towards the utility belt of the nearest agent.

"I'm going to call this in," Conner said, reaching up to his comm device in his ear.

"No, don't," Rachel shot quickly.

"What? Why?" Conner stepped towards Rachel, this time emitting a sense of frustration towards her. "What are we doing here, Raven? We found the bunker, but the agents are dead. We need to regroup with the others."

Rachel bent down towards the dead agent's body and reached towards the waist. She wrapped her fingers around the holstered handgun and slid it out of the belt slowly. She heard Conner step back nervously, despite him being entirely bulletproof. She inspected the weapon carefully. She removed the ammo clip, counting the bullets. All 12 rounds were accounted for. She slid the clip back into place, then turned the gun over and inspected the side. The safety setting was one. These men were killed before they could even draw their weapon. They never stood a chance.

Rachel removed the safety of the handgun, then pulled the chamber back. She looked up at Conner, whose face screamed utter confusion. Rachel sighed. "I know I told you not to worry, Conner. That's because you are the strongest out of us all. You won't be hurt by Deathstroke. The rest of us, though, he could hurt. He could kill each of us."

Conner bit his lip, revealing that familiar uncertainty in him. "Raven...you're strong too. You're a powerful empath with demonic abilities. Couldn't you kill this guy faster than any of us could with your powers?"

Rachel knew that question would be asked at some point. She had the ability to easily kill with ease if she wanted. She knew she could. She, at times, really wanted to. It was a recent urge that she had discovered. She could kill with her abilities, but...if she did, she'd be proving to her father that she is exactly like him. She'd prove to him that she wasn't human, and that she belonged to him. That was the last thing she wanted. She couldn't succumb to her dark powers like that. She had to be careful.

"I...I can't," Rachel said. She looked down at the handgun and took a deep breath. "I can't become the thing that I'm most afraid of, but I also have a duty as a Titan. If I need to, I will put Slade down without compromising myself."

Conner shook his head. "You don't have to, Rachel! I can! It's like you said, I'm Kryptonian! I can put him down myself, and you don't have to-"

"Hold this burden?" Rachel hissed. Conner stepped away from Rachel as her breathing became visibly heavier, fear washing over him slowly. "Don't worry, Conner. All my life, I've held the burden of potentially becoming the beacon that Trigon enters this dimension through. Killing a man will be more than a light burden to bear."

Conner stared at Rachel for a brief moment, as though trying to read her the same way Rachel read others. Rachel hoped that Conner could see how serious she was, and how ready she was to make that game changing decision.

* * *

Koriand'r hovered over the ground swiftly, following behind Victor's trail. She observed as Victor intensively watched over his cybernetic tracker installed in his arm. She could hear his tracker emit a quiet, high pitched beep of sorts. It beeped steadily, keeping a slow pace. Kori felt nervousness wash over herself. The woods were quiet and empty, yet, she felt more tense than ever. This wasn't like any other mission that she had done with the Titans. This one felt different. This one made Kori truly afraid.

Victor suddenly stopped in his tracks, startling Kori. She dropped to the floor and brought her hands up defensively, feeling her fists warm and hiss with a green plasma aura. Kori turned towards Victor, waiting for a signal.

Victor sighed in defeat, then brought his arm down to his side, relaxing. "I thought I was tracking a heat signature, but it was nothing."

Just as Kori released a quiet breath, a small squirrel appeared from behind a nearby tree. Kori smiled softly as the squirrel chipped and skittered away from her and Victor. She turned to Victor, who was staring off into space with a sense of frustration. "What is the matter, Cyborg?"

Victor turned to Kori and shook his head. "I'm not feeling this op, you know?"

Kori bit her lip, deciphering the statement. "I don't, Cyborg. What do you mean?"

Victor glanced around the woods surrounding him and Kori. "Robin sent us out here to apprehend Deathstroke, but like...this should be a big deal for him, right?"

Kori thought about Cyborg's question, trying to gauge what point he was trying to make. "Do you mean the other times Robin as encountered Slade?"

Victor nodded. "Yeah, with the Bat's run ins with Deathstroke, Robin has seen what this guy can do, but that was all before Slade was stranded here. He's got the Mirakuru in him, now. He's a bigger threat than ever, but Robin is sitting this one out?"

Kori arched her eyebrow in confusion. "That is because Robin is-"

"In Gotham on an op," Victor interrupted. "Yeah, he said that. He was also in Gotham when we ran into Slade in Jump City, remember?" Kori opened her mouth to speak, but Victor continued. "There was also the time when we saw Slade in Starling City before his siege, and then the time Slade escaped from us and we ran into that skull ninja or whatever. Robin has managed to miss each op of ours to take down Slade."

Kori shook her head at Cyborg's implication. "I do not understand what you're suspecting Dick of. He has duties to uphold in Gotham with Batman."

Victor groaned. "He makes a point of not working with the Bat. Ever since he founded this team, him and the Bat have been at odds. I don't believe for a second that he's working with him as much as he says he is. And even if he is, this still doesn't add up."

Kori crossed her arms over her chest. "What has gotten into you, Cyborg? Since when have you felt this much anger towards Robin?"

"I'm not angry with him, Star! I just don't like feeling lied to!"

"But Victor, he hasn't lied to us about any-"

Before Kori could finish her statement, she felt something quickly tighten around her ankles. Suddenly, Kori was being hoisted up in the air, suspended by something that caught her off guard, something that caught Kori vulnerable. Something smart.

Despite hanging in the air upside down, Kori could spot Victor using his cybernetic arm to activate a sensory cannon, scanning the area for the assailant. For the moment, she could see nothing else. Kori needed to act fast. Kori brought her upper body up to her knees and generated an energy blast from her fist, shooting at the rope holding her up. As the rope was incinerated, she pulled her legs apart, then just as she was beginning to fall, she began to float and fly over the canopy of trees over her and Cyborg. Kori surveyed the area from above, but was unable to find the enemy.

"Come out!" Victor cried out into the woods. "We know you're here, Slade! And we're not alone!"

Kori floated down to the ground slowly, landing beside Victor, who was already ready to engage in combat. "Victor, it may have been a small trap for animals to get caught in," she suggested. Kori brought her hand to Victor's cannon and pushed it down to his side slowly, calming the cyborg. "I don't believe there is any threat."

"Codenames when on the field, Starfire," Victor warned, "and stay on alert. Someone is out here with us. I feel it."

Kori sighed, deciding against arguing any further. It was better to be safe and on alert than not, she supposed. Kori stepped behind Victor, standing back to back with the large cyborg. She held her arms up, letting her fists become consumed with her raging green energy. Kori felt her fingers burn at the sensation of holding the aura for an extended period of time, but she was used to it. In combat, the burns were nothing compared to dying in battle.

Suddenly, a black blur sped by Kori and she felt a strong force swiftly sweep her off her feet. Kori fell onto the ground, but she quickly swung her long leg up into the air, connecting with the assailant. The enemy fell onto the floor below Cyborg's feet. Victor spun around and aimed his cannon at the enemy in black, but was disarmed by a swift uprising kick to Cyborg's chest, sending the heavy Titan flying across into a tree.

Kori pulled her body up off of the ground and shot blasts of her fiery energy at the enemy, who became another swift black blur as they dodged each blast, making their way closer and closer towards Kori. The blur sent a powerful front kick forward, but Kori flew upward, dodging the kick.

As Kori hovered over the air, she observed the assailant. They were cladded in a black set of military armor, equipped with batons and blades and other gadgets around their belt. The masked assailant starred up at Kori, sending chills down her spine. She recognized the white skull mask that they wore, but the real giveaway was the red marking over one of the eyes of the skull. It resembled an X. It was the masked ninja that they encountered when they last attempted to apprehend Slade.

"It's you," Kori breathed in terror.

The masked assailant's breathing was audible and loud, creating a mechanical sound through the speaker port of the mask. "It's been a while, Starfire," he said.

"Red X!" Cyborg cried from the tree he was embedded into. Victor slammed his fist against the side of the tree, breaking the trunk further, allowing him to step off of the wooden cage. Cyborg began stomping towards Red X slowly, with his cannon humming with energy down by his side. "I had a feeling you'd be the one who helped Slade escape ARGUS captivity."

Red X turned and shook their head at Victor. "He did that all on his own. I'm just his ride out off this island."

Kori could see Victor's human eye twitch with pure anger. "You won't be going anywhere, you son of a bitch."

Victor shot his cannon forward, shooting a wave of energy at Red X, who was easily able to jump off to the side and dodge the blast. Kori hovered high into the air to dodge getting hit by the seemingly careless blast. Kori decided to use that; Cyborg's rage and ferociousness could allow Kori to attack with precision.

Kori acted swiftly. She flew upward and circled around Cyborg and Red X, watching as the swung their fists at one another. Cyborg, being larger than Red X in stature, was able to deflect each of the oncoming blows with ease. Cyborg would swing his heavy, metallic fist at Red X, who managed to dodge and flip over each attack effortlessly. Kori considered the enemy's movements. She noticed, just like the last time they encountered one another, that Red X was able to counteract each of the Titan's movements as though they knew each Titan's moves before they would be executed.

Kori shook the thoughts from her head and saw an opening; Red X had jumped up into the air and pressed their legs onto Cyborg's chest, leaping backwards. Cyborg was knocked off of his footing, while Red X shot through the air with a nimble form. As Red X made their way through the air, Kori shot a blast of energy downward. The impact of the blast sent Red X into the ground, leaving their body skidding across the dirt ground.

Kori flew down to the ground and landed beside Red X's body. She reached over to their chest to feel a pulse when Red X's legs swung upward, wrapping around Kori's neck. As their thighs closed tightly around Kori's throat, she clawed at the dark padded armor choking her. She glanced over at Red X's utility belt and spotted a blade close to reach. Kori stretched her hand out to the knife and felt her fingers grasp the hilt of the handle, but before she could get a better grip, Red X's thighs swung over, sending Kori flipping over the ground.

Kori found herself overpowered as she laid on her back. She felt Red X's weight press down on her as they climbed onto her and pressed the blade over her throat. Kori felt her body tense up as the knife stroked her skin slowly, almost pricking the skin. "Careful, Star," Red X taunted, "one wrong move and it's over."

Kori mind raced as she tried to analyze the situation. She was incredibly limited in options. She was immobile and pinned down. Any attempt to overpower Red X would result in the blade cutting her throat. Any attempt to use her flight or energy blasts would also probably cause Red X to cut her throat. Kori's eyes darted over to the side, where she saw Cyborg suddenly charging at Red X. She shut her eyes, bracing for impact.

In that moment, Red X brought their blade up from Kori's throat and leapt up, dodging Victor's attack with a high jump, followed by a swift backflip. As Red X landed on their feet, Kori flew away from the area, creating distance between her and the enemy. She watched as Red X stared up at her, unaware of Cyborg's cannon trained onto their movement.

"Leave us be, Red X," Kori called out to the enemy. "We only wish to take Slade Wilson into custody."

Red X shook their head. "Sorry. It's not that simple."

Before Kori could respond, a wave of radiant energy washed over Red X, knocking the assailant out. Kori glanced over at Cyborg, who's cannon was steaming with fresh radiation. Kori's caught sight of Victor's face, which expressed a more fiery rage than ever before. She had never seen Cyborg this upset, and part of her was more afraid because of it.

"I knew it," Victor called out, walking over to the knocked out Red X. "I accumulated a scan of you from each of our little seshes. I recorded your fighting style along and I've been using a decipherer for your encrypted voice channel. Can't say I'm surprised, though. Only one person fights the way that you do. Only one person knows our moves better than us." As Victor stood over Red X's weak body, he kneeled over the masked villain. He leaned close to the mask, making Kori fear for Cyborg. He was letting his guard down too close. But then Victor said something that set everything off; "You told us you were in Gotham when Slade escaped from us because of Red X."

Kori's eyes widened as she watched Victor began put the pieces together for her. It was coming together. Red X, Slade's accomplice, was...no, it couldn't be. There was no way it was true. It couldn't be. "Come on, Dick," Victor said. "Drop the charade and come clean with us."

Kori watched as Red X laid still under Victor's capture. She didn't want Victor to be right. As much as it began to add up, it couldn't be true. Dick was with Batman when the Titans last encountered Slade in Gotham. They almost had him in police custody, but they were overwhelmed by the Red X, the mysterious right hand to Deathstroke. Dick wouldn't lie about working with the Batman just to...work with Slade. Why would he work alongside the man who eluded the Bat numerous times? Why would Dick fight against the Titans time after time under a villainous persona, allowing the criminal mercenary to escape their custody? It made no sense.

Just as Kori was ready to doubt the claim, she saw Red X swing their legs underneath Cyborg, sweeping him off of his feet with a fierce swing. Cyborg fell onto the ground with a strong thud, clearly caught off guard by the sudden counter attack. His head his the ground floor, letting the rest of his body feel the impactful jolt that shot through him. Victor rolled over, seemingly unconscious. Red X hopped onto their feet and drew a small red shuriken from their utility belt and aimed it at Kori. She could see Red X visibly breathing heavily, their chest heaving as it rise and fell with each breath. Kori arched her eyebrow questioningly. Why hadn't they already thrown the shuriken at her?

Kori ran towards Red X, making the first move. Red X threw the blade straight at Kori, letting the shuriken whistle through the air as Kori sidestepped, dodging the X shaped blade. Kori leapt forward, forcing herself to close the distance between her and Red X. She shot her knee up, attacking Red X's stomach. They doubled over with a loud groan from underneath their mask. Kori swung with a heavy right hook, connecting her fist with Red X's jaw. The enemy fell onto the ground beside Cyborg, groaning in pain. Kori now had the upper hand on the masked villain.

Kori grabbed Red X by their neck and hoisted them up effortlessly, choking them with the tight grip of her fingers. She could feel her muscles tensing as she put every ounce into her grip. Rage and fear washed over her as she stared at the skull mask. She could hear the weak cackling of the human underneath the mask. She waited for the villain's next move; their next counter had to be a truly skillful move to escape Kori's grasp.

Suddenly, Red X's legs swung upward, clinging onto Kori's arm, and before she realized it, her arm was bent so far up that she could feel her muscles stretching out of place. Something within her had ripped as Red X let their body fall downward, shooting Kori upward with the force of their boots. Kori flew into the air, but caught herself with her own flight ability. She leveled herself, then stared down at Red X. The fact that they were capable of that move spoke volumes. It was a move that Kori had learned from the Tamaranian royal army. Kori had taught Dick that move years later when they first began training together.

Kori could hear a sigh come from underneath the mask. Red X reached up and rubbed his gloved fingers somewhere under the mask, causing a soft hiss to exude from the skull. The mask lifted upward slowly, revealing the familiar Titan within the Red X suit. Dick's damp hair clung to his sweaty forehead as he exhibited cuts and bruises over his eyes and lips. The cost of betrayal. "Star…"

"You bastard," Kori growled at Dick. She felt the energy from his hands burn quicker than it ever had, creating a flaming aura around her clenched fists. Kori stepped towards Dick, who didn't move or flinch. "How could you do this, Dick?" Kori felt her fear of betrayal suddenly dissipate and instead evolve into the same rage that consumed Victor earlier. She thought of all of the times that Robin had excused himself from certain Titan operations, and all of the times that they had encountered Slade and Red X before. Each of those times, Dick was playing the Titans like fools; he had played Kori like a fool.

"It was for the sake of the mission, Star," Dick said softly. "I had to-"

"No!" Kori cried out to her leader, feeling tears stream down her cheeks. "You had us all running in circles, chasing after this phantom of an enemy, when it was only you this whole time!" Kori swung her fist at Dick, sending out a bolt of flaming energy at him. Dick swung his chest back, barely dodging the bolt. "You kept secrets from the people who trusted you the most!" Kori shot both of her hands forward, shooting a fuller blast of energy at Dick. This time, Dick took the hit, letting his armor absorb the blast. He fell back onto the ground as steam hissed off his black suit. Kori stepped over Dick's body, feeling her energy consuming her fists the same way that she was consumed by the fiery rage of betrayal. "You broke my heart, Dick. I believed in you, and you broke my heart." Kori rose her fist up, aiming at Dick's exposed face. "Like father, like son, I suppose."

Dick's lips trembled as his face was illuminated by the green glow of her flaming fists. Kori could see something in Dick's eyes. She wanted to call it fear; fear for his own life, or perhaps shame of being killed by one of his own friends. Kori felt as though she had seen the look in his eyes before, but she wasn't sure. She wanted to say that the look was one of genuine guilt for what he had done, but she didn't know. Kori didn't know a lot, apparently. She didn't know who Dick was anymore.

Just before she could flex her fingers and shoot the bolt of energy, a loud cry echoed through the woods. Kori turned towards the direction of the sound with a gasp, sucking the flames back into her pores. Kori brought her finger to her ear, activating her communication device. "Raven, come in!" Kori cried. "M'gann? Beast Boy? Anybody, do you copy?" Only radio silence in response.

"Oh, god," Dick breathed from below Kori. She turned towards the former Robin, confused by his response. "No…"

Suddenly, Dick reached for a small familiar gun within his belt and shot it upward. A grappling hook shot upward and latched onto a tree, zipping Dick through the air swiftly. Kori watched as he swung through the woods with the familiar grace that he would as Robin. Despite it being beautiful before, it made Kori sick to her stomach at that very moment.

Kori glanced down at Victor's unconscious body on the ground and sighed to herself. She couldn't leave him, but, somebody else was in trouble. With all that happened, Kori prayed that nothing would get worse, and she flew upward in the direction that the betrayer disappeared to.

* * *

Logan sniffed the air around him with his snout, taking in the intense odors of the salty ocean smell carried by the North China winds. He could smell the stench of the moist mud beneath his paws and he could feel the thickness of the humid air soaking his green fur. Logan kept his composure for as long as he could, pushing the slight disgust of the island atmosphere deep within him. Finally, he couldn't hold it any longer, and he let out the softest canine cough. Logan felt his body shift back to his human form, extending his spine and fingers. He felt his face morph as his snout shrunk to a normal size. He felt his fur's length become shorter until his green skin became visible again. Logan let out a second cough, then shook his head. He stood up after walking on all fours for the past hour and stretched his arms and legs out. "I hate this island," he muttered to himself.

M'gann turned back towards Logan and smiled at him softly. "It's not that bad," she said. The Martian waved her hand around, gesturing to the scenic scenery around them. "How can you not be mesmerized by the organic life here on this island? The plant life and the animals inhabiting the jungle here, and the feel of the natural breeze against your skin...isn't this what makes Earth such an amazing place to live?"

Logan shrugged, walking in a slower pace than his more eager partner. "I guess," he weakly answered. "I don't know. I'm a city kid, so, all this nature stuff really grosses me out."

M'gann scoffed softly at Logan's remark. "But, Beast Boy, your superpower is-"

"Becoming the entire animal kingdom, I know. You're talking to the guy who was just following your trail as a beagle." Logan sighed, running a hand through his messy hair. "I just kinda have this transforming gift, and having an extra set of skills based on any animal is dope, but it's not like I enjoy being out here like other animals. I'm still human, after all."

M'gann nodded at this remark. She turned and began walking again, with Logan following behind her. Logan felt a tinge of guilt for what he said, in fear of embarrassing the new Titan. She had only been on Earth for a year, and was only a Titan for even less time. She was still getting accustomed to the Earth customs that she wasn't entirely aware of. Her uncle in the Justice League also had a hard time understanding human conversations, and he had been on Earth for decades. Martians had it rough, having to learn how to be more human than martian.

"My uncle has actually been on Earth for 27 orbital periods, or years, as you call it here on Earth," M'gann chimed in suddenly.

Logan stared up at M'gann ahead of him, both slightly horrified and bothered. "Did you just read my mind, M'gann?"

M'gann glanced back at Logan, confused as to what the issue was, but quickly slapped her hand on her forehead, realizing her mistake. "Oh, no!" she cried out in embarrassment. "I forgot! I'm so sorry, Logan! I promise, I'm not doing it on purpose, I swear!"

Logan couldn't help but smile at M'gann's purity and innocence. He realized how sincere she was and he shrugged it off. "It's okay, M'gann. Don't sweat it."

M'gann let out a sigh of relief. Logan could sense that her intentions weren't malicious, especially given her heritage. Martians apparently were used to reading the minds of everyone around them. On a planet of telepathic aliens, it made sense that telepathy would be more common than speaking. Logan didn't want to be too hard on her, but, he figured that there had to be a level of trust with her on the team, and M'gann not reading minds was a crucial point of that.

Logan watched as M'gann cheerfully strutted through the jungle before him. He arched his eyebrow curiously. "I thought I was the Titan that was always in a good mood," he joked.

M'gann turned to Logan and slowed her pace to walk beside him. "Do you ever feel so much hope that you can't be brought down by anything?"

Logan thought about it for a moment. He considered being caged by Cadmus for years before breaking out along with the rest of the Titans. From that moment on, he was given the best surrogate family he could ever wish for. "Yeah," he answered truthfully, "I do sometimes."

M'gann smiled. "After we catch this Deathstroke guy, Conner and I were going to watch some movies together."

Logan let out the softest chuckle. "Conner? On a date?"

M'gann laughed . "I know, it's weird. It didn't take a lot for him to agree to it, though. I asked if he was free, and he said he was, so I asked if he wanted to come over and watch some James Dean movies, and he said, 'Who's that?' and I told him he'd find out if he came over."

Logan stared at M'gann in awe. "That might be the smoothest thing I've ever heard."

M'gann let out another laugh, clearly giddy by the whole affair. "It's funny, because Conner is so stoic and quiet, you know?"

"He's a clone," Logan shrugged. "He tries really hard to play catch up, sometimes."

M'gann looked down at Logan and smiled. "Reminds you of someone, right?"

Logan smirked softly, realizing how perfect M'gann and Conner really were for each other. The Kryptonian clone who had no understanding of life before the tube in Cadmus, and the Martian who had no understanding of what it meant to be human. The two were more than perfect for each other, weren't they? Logan felt blessed to be a part of a team that brought people closer together in a way that could resonate for the rest of their lives.

Logan continued walking forward, feeling M'gann's presence next to him. "You know, I'm so glad that you managed to find so much happiness within our team so quickly. Not just with Conner, but with Rachel and Kori, you gals have gotten so tight. Richard respects you, and Victor, well, he really just likes your shapeshifting. Maybe he kind of wishes he could do what you can. I get that. I mean, shapeshifting into an animal is one thing, but shapeshifting my appearance, and the green...I wish I could do that." Logan let out a wishful sigh. "Don't get me wrong, the gang accepts me for who I am, but it's just...hard for me to have a life outside of the Titans now because of this, you know?"

For a brief moment, Logan didn't get a response back from M'gann. He turned and realized that M'gann was no longer walking beside him. Logan spun around confusedly, frantically surveying the area around him. He whipped his head around so quickly, he almost didn't see M'gann's fearful eyes begging for help as a long katana was pressed against her throat. It took Logan a second to recognize the masked mercenary standing behind M'gann. The orange and black armor was stained with blood and dirt, and the mask covering his face was split into the two colors, despite resembling an ominous skull. Logan felt his lips tremble as he stared Deathstroke in the face, seemingly moments away from his own death.

"Logan," M'gann croaked as Slade's grip around her wrists tightened around her back.

"Now, now, sweetheart," Slade hushed softly, letting his Australian accent slip from underneath his mask. "You don't want to make any sudden moves, now. It could prove to be dire for you."

Logan watched as M'gann's arms flexed as she struggled to make a move-ANY move to get out of Slade's clutches. For a moment, M'gann's eyes glazed over, as though she had fainted, but her eyes quickly traced back onto Logan, only with tears welling up. She blinked, letting her tears stream down her cheeks, and she smiled softly at Logan. "I really wish I figured out how to phase," she confessed, choking back a soft laugh.

Logan felt his heart sink low into his chest. M'gann hadn't mastered her uncle's signature Martian phasing move, which might have been her only trump card. Suddenly, a queasiness upset Logan's stomach. He had to make a move. He had to save M'gann.

Logan spoke before considering his options, as he did when in moments of crisis. "Let her go, man," he said unconfidently. "I can spit poison at you like a dart quicker than you can say 'Crikey, mate.'"

Slade let out a low laugh from under his mask, sending chills down Logan's spine. "You're the one that mouths off a lot, eh?" Suddenly, Slade shoved his way forward, with M'gann stumbling in front of him with the blade still trained on her throat. "I'd be careful with what you say, boy. I'm not feeling especially generous tonight. After all, I've been here for quite a while. Island fever, you understand. It drives a man a little bonkers. Might just snap."

Logan forced a smile onto his lips, taking a nervous step back. "If you're not feeling too hot, why don't you just come with us? We can get you some help, right?"

"You won't!" Slade howled, jerking M'gann around in his grasp. "You'll lock me away again. I'll rot, and you children will convince yourselves that you've done your people a service, am I right?" Slade shook his head, slowly walking towards Logan. "That's not the whole story, is it? Not when you all are operating out of jurisdiction, acting as judge and jury, and soon, you'll begin executing, won't you?"

Logan backed away from Deathstroke, feeling his palms grow sweatier with each step. He did his best to conceal his terror, but his voice cracked with each response. "Aren't you the one threatening to execute us?"

"Not if I don't need to," Slade answered. "You lot aren't on the Olympus Contract. I'm not trying to drop bodies unless I have to. I just need you kids to let me be on my way, and I'll carry on and stay out of your way."

Logan let Slade's words sink in. He was beginning to consider Slade's offer. Could he really just let Slade walk away and nobody would be hurt? Logan knew that they needed to apprehend Slade, but, at what cost? The deadly assassin would make quick work of Logan. There was no way around it. He couldn't take Slade down alone. If he could find some way to alert the others, then Logan might stand a chance.

Logan turned his gaze towards M'gann, who was struggling to breathe with the tightly pressed sword against her throat. "Don't you worry, M'gann," Logan said to her. "You're going to be alright."

"She can be," Slade said. "You just have to turn the other cheek."

Logan eyed Slade carefully. He watched the way the assassin's fingers loosened their grip over the sword by the Martian's neck. Logan could see M'gann's face relax slightly as she began pulling her arms slightly loose, but not completely free from his grasp. Logan felt as though Slade was preparing to release the Titan, but, he had to be entirely sure.

Logan brought his hand up to his head, briefly stroking his ear. He felt his earpiece buzzing as it activated, then he let his hand run through his hair. "I need a guarantee, big guy."

Deathstroke stood stock still, keeping the blade on M'gann;'s neck. Despite being unable to see Slade's face underneath the mask, he could tell his stare was piercing straight into his soul. Logan almost regretted activating the homing beacon on his communication device.

"Beast Boy!" Logan could hear Rachel's familiar voice call from the woods.

Slade suddenly turned his head towards the direction the call came from. Slade sighed in annoyance, then turned back to Logan. "You alerted them, didn't you?" he asked.

Logan kept quiet. He felt his heart beat faster in fear. He had been figured out. Logan had Slade surrounded, but the mercenary still had an upperhand in the situation; he was the Terminator.

Slade brought his sword down, letting it hang on his side. M'gann began tugging forward, attempting to pull herself from Slade's grip. She cried to herself as Slade wouldn't release her. Logan's eyes widened in panic as Slade turned back to Logan. "You could have saved her," he said softly.

Before Logan realized what was happening, the sword had pierced M'gann's chest, and dark blood sprayed from the cut wound. M'gann let out a cry of agony that echoed throughout the woods. Logan felt his mind scream as he moved to help the Titan, but despite his efforts, he was frozen in place. His feet were suddenly heavy with lead, and with each attempt to call out to M'gann, his voice would not allow him to.

Slade dropped M'gann's body onto the ground carelessly, then began making his way to Logan, who fell onto his back and scurried away, backing up into a tree. Logan knew he was going to die. He was unprepared to even attempt to take on Deathstroke, and he knew he wouldn't be shown mercy. The ruthless assassin was prepared to slaughter Logan just as he had M'gann.

"Logan!" called Rachel from nearby. Logan turned slowly to spot her approaching the clearing with Conner. Rachel stopped in her tracks as she spotted the scene before her. Rachel's eyes widened in fear, but then that fear slowly shifted into something more raw and dangerous. Logan watched as she brought her hand up, revealing a handgun pointed at Deathstroke.

Slade turned and let out a laugh. "You don't know how to use that thing, girl!" he bellowed. "Drop it, and nobody else will die tonight."

Conner stepped from behind Rachel and saw M'gann's corpse laid out on the ground. Initially, his face was still, almost emotionless. Conner's gaze turned to Slade, and the gaze became a slight glare. He muttered something to Rachel, who didn't respond. Conner walked slowly towards Logan and Slade, then his walk became a run. "I'm going to kill you!" he roared.

Logan watched as the fight between Superboy and Deathstroke broke out feet in front of him. The Kryptonian's strength was that of a ferocious beast, but Slade's cunning fighting style was just enough to let him hold his ground. With each swing of a punch Superboy threw, Deathstroke effortlessly dodged. The two fought in a violent dance that faded away from Logan's line of sight as his gaze shifted towards the dead Titan before him.

Logan stared at her lifeless body on the ground. He could still see the blood oozing out of the wound. The sword glistened in the sunlight as it protruded out of her back. Her face was turned towards Logan, staring back at him with a dead stare. Her mouth was slightly agape, as if calling out to Logan just before her essence left her body. " _Logan,"_ he could hear her weak cry. " _Help."_

Logan felt a sudden stabbing pain in himself. It was a sickening feeling in his gut. It wasn't the nervousness he felt before when he first met Richard and Rachel. It wasn't the butterflies in his gut when he went on his first op with the team. It was something else entirely. It was an absence of something in him, and that missing feeling hurt more than he ever thought he could hurt. It hurt more than all of the times he had been beaten and bruised on the field. For the first time since finding out his parents were dead, Logan was empty.

Just as it was all setting in for Logan, he spotted Starfire flying into the clearing, landing near Rachel and M'gann's body. Logan watched as Kori knelt down beside the Martian and began what he believed was a prayer for her. Rachel knelt beside Kori and bowed her head. Every few seconds, the screams and cries of battle broke though Logan's thoughts, but it didn't wake him from the nightmare he was in.

Suddenly, Logan caught sight of a familiar black armored boy walking through the woods and into the clearing. Logan could instantly recall the Red X's attire, their weapons, and their swift fighting style that no Titan was able to overcome. Just as the memories of his encounters with the Red X came flooding in, Logan spotted the unmasked face of Red X. Logan squinted his eyes carefully, feeling as though his mind was playing tricks on him. Perhaps it was. Maybe Logan wasn't a coward. Maybe M'gann hadn't died right before him. Maybe Dick wasn't Red X.

As Dick stared at the fallen Titan on the ground, his hands clenched at his sides. Before he could take another step, Rachel stood up from beside M'gann's corpse and raised her weapon at Dick. The former Robin raised his hands defensively. Logan could make out some words here and there. " _For the sake of the mission,"_ he had said. Logan watched as Rachel stepped closer towards Dick, leaving the barrel of the gun inches from Dick's face. " _Wasn't supposed to go like this,"_ Dick explained.

Everything was becoming surreal to Logan. Dick had...betrayed the team? He was Red X the entire time? What did that mean? Did Dick set the entire fiasco up? DId he have Slade murder M'gann? Why was he siding with Slade at all? What was the endgame for any of this?

Logan heard the loud thud of Slade knocking out Conner, the single most powerful Titan. Logan turned and spotted Slade reaching for the blade within M'gann's back, and ripping it from her corpse, then pointing it at Dick. "You double crossed me, boy!"

Dick slapped the barrel of Rachel's gun away from his face, stomping towards Slade. "This was never part of the plan, Slade! You lied to me!"

"I never lied, Grayson!" Deathstroke howled out. "I had my sneaking suspicions of who you really were under that mask, but that wasn't going to interfere with everything! I was still going through with the Olympus Contract, and you were more integral to that than ever!"

Dick stared back at Slade in fury, but a wave of doubt seemed to wash over his face. Logan sensed that there was a part of Dick that suddenly felt as though they were never in control of the situation. Ironically enough, with the recent revelation and turn of events, it seemed as though none of the Titans were in control of anything.

"What's he talking about?" Victor suddenly called from nearby. Logan spun his head to spot Cyborg appear out of nowhere, unsure of where he had been during this encounter. It didn't matter though; Logan was playing just as much of catch up as anybody else.

Logan watched as Dick glanced between Victor, who was making his way between Rachel and Star, and Slade, who was standing proudly, as though he took pride in tearing the foundations of the Titans apart. Dick sighed. "Like I said, it was for the sake of the mission," he explained. "I was given a tip about a case. I followed a trail of evidence that led to a conspiracy. A contract was in place to take down the Justice League. A lot of money was offered for this, and a weapon was being built in order to do so." Dick turned his gaze back to Slade. "After investigating, I found out the Terminator had accepted this contract. I took on the Red X persona and became Slade's protégé to figure out how he was going to take the League down, and I was going to stop him."

Slade let out a chuckle, shaking his head in response to Dick's explanation. "You are even more naïve than I realized, boy."

Rachel groaned and aimed the handgun at Slade once more. "I'm going to shoot you, I swear to God."

"Are you sure, child?" Slade taunted. "I feel as though your anger is misdirected. I did nothing to you. All I'm doing is carrying out my job. I take the contract, and I execute it as I see fit. I do this, and I leave all uninvolved parties out of my crosshairs. However, tonight, you lot crossed over the line, and because of little Robin's deceitfulness, things got a little hairier than intended initially." Slade stepped closer towards Rachel, letting the barrel touch his armor's chest plate. "You could waste a bullet on me, and I would retaliate accordingly. You would all be killed, and I'd be on my merry way. You could also put that bullet to better use, now, couldn't you?"

Logan watched as Rachel's grip on the handgun shook nervously. Logan was wondering why she even had a gun in the first place, but it didn't matter in the end. Logan watched as Rachel's finger twitched at the trigger of the gun, as though she was itching to pull the trigger. Logan asked himself if she would actually go through with it, and what it would mean for the soul of a demon. Logan felt an overwhelming fear as Rachel's aim shifted, pointing towards Dick once more. Logan turned his gaze towards Starfire and Cyborg, who stood beside Rachel as she kept the gun trained on their former leader. Logan waited for either of them to say something, anything, to Rachel. He waited for somebody to beg her to not go as far as she was tempted to. But the Titans were silent.

Logan rested his head back against the tree in frustration as Slade stepped away from the group, slowly making his way through the woods and finally disappearing from the clearing. With minimal effort, the deadliest assassin in the world managed to escape the Titans. The team had failed their mission, but it didn't matter anymore. Even if they had succeeded, the cost would have been too high. Logan let out a shuddered breath as Superboy finally came to, slowly crawling towards M'gann's corpse. He watched as the lonely Kryptonian cradled the one person in the world that understood him best in his arms. Logan turned his gaze towards Rachel, Kori, and Victor, who were all turned against Dick. Logan finally spoke. "This had to be worth it," Logan called out. "Tell me that whoever tipped you off gave you enough to find this...League-killing weapon."

Dick turned to Logan, almost surprised that the shapeshifter had finally spoked. He looked down at the ground, given the answer that the everyone was waiting for. "The tip came from Batman. The weapon wasn't specified, but, if my theory is correct...the weapon to destroy the League was a person." As Dick said this, the woods grew more silent than ever, as though in anticipation for the revelation that would've determined whether or not the endeavor was worth it at all. "I think Slade's contract was to train a killer cunning enough to kill each of the League members. I was the killer."

The words rang loud through the woods, despite the sounds of nature humming through the dimly lit dusk night. Logan wanted to take a moment to really consider what had happened, but he couldn't. He didn't see the point in it, in any of it. Robin had taken his role as Batman's right hand man over his role as a trusting leader and member of the Titans. Robin had sabotaged countless ops to protect his cover, and he kept the Titans in the dark. Maybe in Robin's head, he was protecting the team. Maybe he was doing it so he wouldn't be compromised. Whatever the case was, it was still a mistake that came at way too high of a price. M'gann died for Dick's secret, for his betray, and because of that, everything had changed.

Rachel was the first to react. She took the handgun and flipped it, handing the weapon to Dick. He took the gun from Rachel slowly, and watched as Rachel turned from Dick and walked away from the clearing, away from everything. After her followed Cyborg, who simply shook his head slowly before disappearing from the clearing as well. Logan stood up as Starfire's teary gaze dropped from Dick, then shifted towards Conner, who had suddenly lifted M'gann's lifeless corpse up in his large arms. Starfire nodded as Conner approached Star, who softly traced a finger across M'gann's paleish face. Despite being dead, M'gann looked beautiful. She reminded Logan of an extraterrestrial Sleeping Beauty, being carried away by her prince. Conner and Starfire walked together with M'gann's body out of the clearing, taking the last bit of innocence in the Titans left with them. All that was left was Dick and Logan.

Dick turned to Logan, who brushed the dirt from his dark pants and kept his gaze down at the ground. Logan was at a loss for words. He didn't want to have to confront Dick; not about what he had done, or about what Slade did, or about anything else. He was tired. He wanted to be done with it all. With the responsibilities of being Beast Boy, of being a hero, of being a Titan.

Just as he was walking past Dick, Logan heard him speak. "I know that I messed up," Dick started, "and I can't expect to get your forgiveness now, but...will you do me a favor?" Logan turned to Dick. "Watch over the Titans for me?"

Logan felt his heart sink even further. That's what he was afraid of. Going back to the Titans, to everyone, now that everything had changed. The trust, and the love that they had for one another, for Dick, had suddenly been shattered. "Dick, you have to realize...you were my family. You were all I ever had. And now that's ruined." Logan scoffed, struggling to find the right words for once. "I...don't think there will be any Titans for me to watch over after tonight."

With that, Logan turned and walked in the direction everyone else had gone, leaving Dick in the woods, unsure of what the future would lie for Logan or anyone else. Logan didn't want to think about any of that. For once, he didn't want to think of his friends, and wanted nothing more than for things to go back to how they were before all of it. Before the Titans, before Cadmus, and before his parents' death. It was time to go back to something else.


End file.
